The Fires of Inheritance
by Tyrunner
Summary: How would you feel if you learned who your father truly was? The sequel to Last Redemption. Chapter 4 in, Chapter 5 coming soon. Starring Macavity's son, Jendangen.
1. A World of Death and Sadness

**The Fires of Inheritance**

**_A Sequel to _Last Redemption**

**By:Tyrunner**

**Chapter 1**

Bombalurina quietly sat by a cardboard box that had once housed a pair of human shoes, but was now home to a gentle pile of soft cloths and rags, which served as padding for the red queen's little kitten, Jendangen. It had been 4 months since the evil tom Draconic overtook the tribe and ruled it tyrannically, that is, until Macavity returned and defeated him in an epic battle. Draconic was killed in that fight, and sadly, Mac was mortally wounded as well, and was sent up to the Heaviside Layer the following night. It had been hard for Bombi then, and it was still hard for her now, since Mackey had been her mate.

As she watched her son sleep, she reflected on how life had been for them before Draconic took control. It really all began that one day after the Jellicle Ball, when she went on her own, having a little walk around the block. She ended up running into the tom that had once had been her love, they ended up spending a night "catching up," and she ended up getting pregnant with her daughter, Sophline, as a result. Her secret was exposed, and she had to choose between Macavity or the tribe, and she chose him. Even now, she was unsure of why she made that choice, but she never regretted it. She managed to get Mac to change his ways and he became a loving family tom. (_For more on this, read Forbidden Romance. Also read Last Redemption to get more background on certain things and cats throughout the story_) It all changed when her sister Demeter fled from the overrun tribe, and managed to get Mackey to use his old Dark Magic skills to defeat Draconic, and free the tribe. He agreed, and now he was gone as an end result. Even though it was for the good of the tribe, it still hurt her terribly, because he was gone. She still sometimes cried herself to sleep, and many times still had nightmares. Thankfully now there was another tom caring for her.

As she sat there, not even bothering to wipe away a lone tear that ran down her face, she felt two gentle, but strong paws rest on her shoulders, accompanied by a voice that was itself gentle, but also saucy, "Are you okay?"

The red queen smiled gently and put one of her paws over one that was on her shoulder, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just still…getting those…emotions," she said, looking up at the Main Coon that was standing behind her. Rum Tum Tugger, with a look of concern, sat next to her. The two were now a couple, but they didn't yet consider themselves mates. Tugger understood how Bombi and Macavity felt about each other, and he knew that being anything more than a courting couple right now would make her feel disloyal to her old mate, and he respected that. They both knew they would become mates eventually, but it was still going to be awhile. Even so, Tugger didn't believe that the queen he cared about dearly was fine and he put his arm around her, which seemed to break away her emotion barrier, "It hurts, Tugger," she sobbed out, more tears flowing down her face, "I know it has been awhile, but I... I can't move on! Every time I try to get myself to move on…I see his face, and him dying. And I…I'm pulled right back to where I started."

Her words had Tugger saddened. It hurt him a lot to see her going through such hard times, "I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I…I don't know what to say. It hurts me that you are hurting so much," his gentle words seemed to lift all the sadness from the red queen and she cuddled against him a little more. His other arm went around her, and resulted in the two to cling to each other or a long while. Bombi then tilted her head up and gave him a peck on the cheek. His head turned to face her, and they looked into each other's eyes. A shiver ran through Bombi and at the same time, a similar feeling went through Tugger. Slowly, their lips met and the two finally had their first true kiss.

As their lips parted, loud chattering started emanating from the junkyard, and it caused the couple to run outside. Everyone was grouped around the old trunk that was the infirmary, and Bombalurina could barely see Munkustrap, the Jellicle Leader, who was trying to keep everyone from getting in. She could also see her sister Demeter, Munku's mate, helping him. Together, the two kept everyone back, as the silver tabby shouted out, "We'll let you know more! Now, please! Everyone go back to your dens! You'll know more once we find out more, I promise, now please go!"

Slowly, the tribe dispersed, everyone chattering about whoever was in the infirmary. Bombi and Tugger worked their way through the crowd, and got to the couple that was standing guard at the entrance. Bombi had a look of confusion as she inquired her sister, "What's going on?"

The black and gold queen responded with a sober look in her eyes, "It's Rumpleteazer. She suffered a miscarriage," The words caused her heart to sink and her mouth dropped in a state of shock. From the infirmary, she could hear Jennyanydots yelling at Jellylorum.

"More rags! I need more rags!"

Jellylorum followed the shout with one of her own, "It's not working! I can't stop the bleeding!"

"Well keep trying!"

Bombalurina was clearly outwardly perplexed, "How could this have happened?"

"Apparently, according to Mungojerrie, she fell out of bed last night. He didn't think anything of it until just a few minutes ago; when he saw her laying on the floor on top a pile of blood, "Munkustrap answered with a somber tone.

"Where is he now?"

"He's in his den. He's clearly in shock. I had Alonzo and Cassandra go to stay with him for the rest of the day."

"Poor queen," Demi said with pity, "She was actually starting to look forward to her kitten coming."

"Wait, she was looking forward to the kitten coming?" Tugger asked, amazed, "All this time, I had heard that she wanted an abortion."

"Everyone knows that abortion among cats is extremely frowned upon," Bombalurina replied, "If she had done it, everyone would've given her heat for it."

"But still, even though Mungo convinced her out of it, she might've kept the idea alive," Tugger's words had everyone thinking. Could it have been possible that Rumpleteazer did want an abortion all along and finally got her wish? But if it was so, why would she go this far? No one could answer that. An hour passed before Jennyanydots was finally able to get the calico queen in a stable state, and everyone relaxed a little. Tugger and Bombi went back to the den the two, plus the red queen's family, were sharing. Because they weren't mates yet, the Main Coon and Bombi slept in separate beds, at her insistence. As she was about to fall asleep, she heard distinct crying coming from the other room in the box that was their home. She immediately knew who it was and went to the other room. There, sitting up, her arms wrapped around her knees, her face lying on them, sobbing, was Bombalurina's daughter, Sophline. Bombi knew how hard it was for her as well, since Mackey had been a wonderful father to her, and the two had a special bond. Quietly, the red queen sat next to the little queen, whose fur was a slightly darker red than her mother's, and gently put her arm around her daughter. The younger queen immediately leant into her mother's embrace and continued crying. No words were spoken momentarily, but finally Bombi spoke.

"It's ok, Soph. I know you miss Daddy a lot. I miss him too."

"I just…I wish he wasn't gone!" The little kitten sobbed, "Why did he have to get hurt and leave, Mommy? Why did he leave us?"

"It…it was his time to leave…I guess," The red queen said quietly, "You remember what I said about destiny and fate? Well…I suppose that that was his fate; to go up the Heaviside Layer."

"Yes…I suppose," Sophline said sadly. It didn't matter, it seemed, what Bombalurina said to her, it didn't ease the pain of loss. It still hurt, just the same. Bombi quietly gave her daughter another hug and a kiss on the head.

"Sophline, if you ever feel the need to talk to someone, don't hold it in, okay? Please talk to someone, all right?" This brought a nod from the kitten. Bombalurina gave her daughter one last kiss good night and tucked her in. As she went back to her and Tugger's room, she suddenly got this horrible feeling of impending doom, like something was terribly wrong. She glanced out through a small slit on the wall and she could see Jennyanydots outside the infirmary, leaning against the wall outside. She looked like she was crying. Bombi's heart sank instantly, as she had a terrible feeling that the worst had happened. She quickly roused Tugger and together, the two went to the old Gumbie cat. As they neared her, they could hear light sobbing. For a moment, Bombi couldn't speak. Finally, she got her courage and gently whispered, "Did…she…?"

Jenny nodded, "Yes…she got…complications, died just a few minutes ago," She whispered through her tears, "And just when I had stopped the damn bleeding too!" She suddenly shouted, which stunned both the Main Coon and the red queen. Neither of them had ever heard the queen swear before, and it was so unlike her to ever even think of letting out one profanity. The shock of that was overwhelmed though, thanks to the shock of Rumpleteazer now being…dead. It was completely shocking and it had all three cats terribly saddened. Jellylorum joined them and with no words, and to everyone's surprise, no tears, they all hugged each other for a long time. Jelly finally broke the silence by saying that she was going to go get Mungojerrie, so that he could be told. Bombi and Tugger went to Munkustrap and Demeter's home to tell them as well. As all four went back to the infirmary, they could hear Mungo crying loudly over the loss of his sister whom he had loved dearly. Other cats were also arriving and receiving the news, and many of them were also crying, mourning the loss of a queen who was always optimistic and able to lift anyone's spirits up in the worst of time, despite the fact that she would sometimes spring practical jokes on others. It was a terrible loss.

Her funeral was the next day. Since she couldn't get formally sent to the Heaviside Layer, the only other way to send a dead cat's soul up was to, sadly, burn the body. Everyone gathered at the middle of the Junkyard. Munkustrap was standing on the tire, everyone standing in front of him. Rumpleteazer's body, all cleaned up and primped by Jennyanydots and Jellylorum, lay in front of them, surrounded by many of her possessions, like her Woolworth pearl necklace, and the sack that she used to plunder from the human family she lived with on Victoria Grove. Mungojerrie even set next to her the winter vest he usually wore. A few cats spoke a few words about Teazer and what kind of a cat she was. At the end of the service, Munku stood tall and said the last words.

"Rumpleteazer was taken from us much quicker than anyone else had anticipated, but we must move on, knowing that she is now going to live as great a life as she did here with the Jellicle Tribe. She will be greatly missed, not just because of her good humor and her sometimes annoying antics, but also for the great care and support she had for every member of the tribe," With that, he gave a nod to Mistoffelees, who sullenly raised his paw at the calico queen's body. All of a sudden, a burst of fire shot out of his paw and onto Teazer's final resting place. Her body and all of the objects surrounding her immediately went ablaze, and everyone stood silent, most of them shedding tears, as Rumpleteazer slowly burned away. Mungojerrie stood next to Bombi, holding her paw as a hold for comfort. As he watched his sister, the last of his family, burn away, he could no longer hold back his tears. He burst out sobbing and fell to his knees, his face buried in his paws. Bombalurina knelt by the calico tom and gently put her arms around him, and he rested his head on her shoulder, crying onto her chest. On Mungo's other side, Skimbleshanks stood stoic, quietly shedding tears. He had been very saddened by Macavity's loss, since the ginger tom had practically been like a son to him when Mackey was in the tribe, and he had considered Mungojerrie the same thing.

Even Bombi shed some tears as well as she held the grieving tom, watching Rumpleteazer's body slowly get reduced to ashes. After two deaths, two losses in just a few months, the Jellicle world had seemed to become a world of death and sadness.

_I just had to write this story out. I have been yearning to write a sequel about Macavity's son, Jendangen. I know this chapter isn't about him at all but the following chapters will. For those who are concerned, I am still writing _Americanized Jellicles_, but as of late, I have been getting writer's block on that story, so I am putting it on hiatus for now. I may also get my other romance fanfic out, _A Rose Blooms For Two_, which will star Victoria, Plato, and Mistoffelees. I am glad for all the reviews I have been getting on my stories, and I am glad there are people who like my writing, and I hope they enjoy this story as much as my other fanfics. Please R and R, so I can improve this story as it continues. Keep readin' and writin'!_


	2. Dreams and Secrets

**Chapter 2**

Another four months had passed, but the mood of the tribe had not changed at all. Rumpleteazer's death had left a sour taste in everyone's mouths, and the rumor that she had tried to have an abortion continued to flourish around the junkyard. Mungojerrie, through his mourning, denied it vehemently again and again.

"I swear to ya, it wasn't any abortion! You heard Jenny! It was an accident!"

Bombi, Demeter, Munkustrap, and many others believed him, but there were some who were stubbornly clinging to their belief that Teazer always wanted an abortion, but never got a chance to get it done until now. Munku simply shook his head at that.

"Those who believe that it happened, they think it happened because they _want_ it to have happened."

Finally, four months after the calico queen's untimely death, there was finally some joy, as Jemima's kitten was born. It was a tom that was mostly dark grey, with lighter colored stripes on him. His tail and each of his paws were also a much lighter grey as well. His ears were a distinct white, and his face was also white with a few black stripes on the sides of his face and under his chin. Jemmi decided to name him Tyrus, which suited her and her mate, Lupus. Everyone was joyous in this new arrival, the first in quite some time. Soon after, Victoria gave birth to her third kitten, Syria. She was a beautiful black and white queen, whose color combination was similar to Mistoffelees' half-brother, Quaxo. Many other of the younger queens who had just within the year had settled down with their mates were starting to have kittens of their own as well. The next generation of Jellicles was being born.

_Four cat years and three Jellicle Balls later…_

It was 3 days before the Ball, and everyone was getting ready for it. Jellylorum, Asparagus, and Bustopher Jones had already been sent up to the Heaviside Layer, and the candidates for this year's choice was either an old cat that had been accepted into the tribe just 2 years prior, Safford, or Skimbleshanks. It was morning and Bombalurina was cleaning up the dinner table. All of their furniture from their old shack on Victoria Grove had been brought here just a few days after Bombi had returned back to the tribe. She couldn't bear to part with it, because it was her kittens and these bureau drawers that acted as tables that were the last things that gave her connection to Macavity, as it was he that had brought the furniture for them. It kept a part of him in her presence the whole time. Sophline, who was now going through her puberty years, and every day it seemed, she was becoming more and more independent, drifting farther away from her mother and step-father, came into the room, and without even a good morning greeting, walked past the elder red queen and went for the door.

"And where are you going?"

The younger queen sighed with irritation that her mother was pestering her, "I'm going to Catalina's, is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, not at all…what are you going to do there?"

Another groan of irritation came from the queen that was now in her early teen years, "Nothing, mother! Harline and Carline are coming over and that's it! Honestly, do I have to write you five page descriptions of what I'm going to do all day?"

While she was taken back by her daughter's words, Bombi shot back, "Well, it would make my life a little easier. Just be sure you're home for dinner, all right?"

"Yes, mother," Soph responded with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she left. All her mother could do was sigh with a bit of sadness. She knew that this was part of growing up, but it still hurt her that she could no longer connect with her daughter. When she was younger, the two were inseparable at times, always doing things together. Now, they, as she saw it, were growing farther and farther apart. It was a heavy, sad feeling. Her thoughts on her now rebellious daughter were interrupted by Jendangen as he slowly walked into the room, his white face, which was evenly striped with black and orange, showing trouble ness.

"Honey, are you all right?" Bombalurina asked her son with concern. The little orange tom looked at his mom with wide open eyes.

"I had this dream, Mommy."

"A bad dream, dear?" Bombi knelt to her son's level.

"Well…no. But it still bothers me."

"In what way?"

"Well, this…tom appears, and I have never seen him before, yet I feel like I know him."

Curiosity resulted in the next question from the little orange kitten's mother, "What did this tom look like?"

Jenner thought for a long moment, remembering what he had seen, "Well, he…was a deep red color….tall and thin…and his eyes were…sunken into his face," Those last words about the eyes being sunken in froze the red queen. There was only one cat she ever knew that had eyes sunken in and that was…her face went blank, which was not noticed by her son. Bombi was barely able to keep her composure.

"The…tom only appeared? He didn't say anything?" Jendangen nodded.

"Mommy, do you know who this cat could be?" At this, his mother froze again, but once again, the red queen kept herself from saying who the cat really was.

"No, dear, I don't. And I wouldn't worry too much if this cat doesn't appear in your dreams again. Ah, I see that Jennyanydots is opening the kitten play area. You want to go there?" The little orange tom's eyes lighted up in delight and he nodded in quick agreement. Bombalurina took him over to the play area, leaving him in the trusting care of the old Gumbie cat and her new assistant, Jemima. As she walked back to her den, a feeling of shock and sadness overwhelmed the red queen. Was it really possible? That Macavity's spirit was visiting his son in his dreams? She quietly went back inside and as she sat down to catch her breath for a moment, an old feeling of sadness and heartbreak overcame her, and she broke into tears. Sure, it had been almost 5 years since Mackey had been sent to the Heaviside Layer, but…the wound was still fresh. As she cried, Tugger quickly came to her side, and putting a comforting arm around her. The two were now mates, and they truly now loved each other.

"Bombi? Baby, what's wrong?"

Bombi slowly quieted down her crying and was able to speak, "Jenner…he…he saw…Mackey…in his dream," her words caused the Main Coon to also freeze in shock. Jendangen didn't have any memories of his real father, because he was just a tiny kitten when it happened. He had grown up believing that Tugger was his real father, and neither he nor the tom's mother had told him what had happened to the orange kitten's real father, Macavity.

"Did…did he know who it was?"

"N-no, he didn't. Tugger…sooner or later, he's going to figure out you're not his real father and…well…I can't tell him that his real father was an evil criminal for most of his life! I mean, I will have to tell him who his true father is, but…Oh, Everlasting Cat, I don't want to!" Rum Tum Tugger didn't answer right away, but he simply held her, comforting her in his embrace.

"Bombi, I understand that you have to tell him, and I'll tell you this, I will help you, when that time comes."

"I know you will, Tugger. It's just that…I don't know how I'll tell him, or when."

"When the time comes, we will," With that, the tom gave her a gentle, loving kiss on the head. This prompted Bombalurina to raise her head, and she gazed into his eyes with such intensity, it was almost like she was trying to look into his soul. The two slowly got closer, and their lips gently connected in a tender, loving kiss. As their lips parted, Bombi gave a sly grin.

"You know, Jendangen is over at the kitten play area, and Sophline is at Catalina's…" With that, the Main Coon gave his own devilish grin and he lifted his mate into his arms and carried her back to their room, where their bed was. He gently lowered her onto the bed and slowly crawled over her. They shared a long, passionate kiss, and then Tugger pulled away to look into her eyes.

"You…aren't feeling guilty over this, are you?" he asked with uncertainty, referring to Bombi still feeling disloyal to Macavity. It caused the red queen to go silent in thought for a moment, but with the longing to be loved overtaking her, she smiled in response.

"As long as I have you, I won't be," With that, the two intimately embraced as their lips met again with intense passion. Macavity, Jendangen's dream of him, Sophline maturing too early, the Jellicle Ball, all of that disappeared in Bombalurina's mind as romance filled her heart, soul, and the entire room.

_Ah yes, love is a powerful thing. Jendangen himself will get romantic later on in the story as he comes of age. The next chapter will focus on Jendangen learning from Bombalurina who his real father is, and his reactions. I don't know when the next chapter will come, as football practice, work, etc. is overcoming my writing time. I won't have the next chapter out this week, but it will be sometime afterward. I still have writer's block on _Americanized Jellicles_, but that story will continue…eventually. If any of you have trouble knowing what Syria's color combination is like, just look at Mistoffolees' in the video, in the first act. That should make everything clear. I'm also going to try to briefly include Alonzo and Cassandra in this story, but honestly, there isn't much to tell about them…or is there? _

_Either way, please R and R, and keep readin' and writin'!_


	3. The True Father and True Love

**Chapter 3**

_Eight years later…_

The new generation of Jellicles was now starting to come of age. All of the old cats of the past had gone up to the Heaviside Layer, and the cats that had previously been young were now finally starting to grow old. Bombalurina was also slowly starting to age; her once glowing red fur was now gradually getting duller. She still maintained her slender figure, but she was clearly getting old. In cat years, she had been 32 when Sophline was born, 36 when Macavity was sent to the Heaviside Layer, and now here she was at 47, close to 48. She _was_ now getting old, as well as everyone else was. Tugger was now in his early fifties, and his mane was starting to grey, though his black stayed the same as it has always been. Demeter was only two years younger than Bombi, but her face had much deeper lines than her older sister's. Munkustrap was as old as the red queen, but the silver tabby didn't seem to age at all. His fur was still glistening and he still moved about with ease, while everyone else his age was moving with more effort.

The responsibilities had also changed in the many years. Jemima took over Jennyanydots' job in the infirmary and working with the kittens, Electra assisting her.

Pouncival, to everyone's surprise, had taken over Skimbleshanks' job on the railway train. Alonzo was planning to relinquish his post as second-in-command, but no one had yet taken the job. It was so strange to Bombi. All the cats they had grown up knowing were now gone. Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella, Bustopher Jones, Gus the Theatre Cat, Jellylorum, Jennyanydots, Skimbleshanks; all of them had gone up to the Heaviside Layer. Here she was now, at their ages, feeling their ages. It was an empty feeling for sure. Sophline, now 17, was spending almost all of her time outside of home, usually with her good friends Catalina and Harline. Jendangen was now 12 and also starting to make friends with other toms his age, like Tyrus and Lupen, Jemima's second son. They were both growing up almost alarmingly to their mother, and it also saddened her. Now she knew what the saying meant, "It's hell getting old." The red queen sat quietly in her den, Tugger was visiting his brother, and here she was sitting, aging. As she glanced out the hole that served as a window, she saw Victoria's younger daughter, Syria, running to meet with her friends. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the black and white queen run by. For a moment she wondered if she would ever be in a relationship with Jenner. The two were the same age and were right now good friends. Maybe, she thought, maybe they could be something more…

"Bombi, I'm home!" Tugger's voice called out to her, and she turned to see him entering the den, Munkustrap right behind him. Bombalurina smiled and stood up, giving her mate a kiss. Then, she turned to the silver tabby.

"Well, hi Munku! I didn't expect you to be visiting."

"Eh, well, what's wrong with a little visit to my sister-in-law?" he responded with a sly grin, giving her a peck on the cheek, "So, how have you been doing?"

"Well, fine, for an old queen," Bombi responded ruefully, as she casually glanced at the full body length mirror, which was leaning against one wall. The mirror, which used to be the rearview mirror of an old car, showed a still slender and beautiful red queen, but Bombi saw something else: age, just plain old aging.

"You're not old, Bombi, you know that. You look just as beautiful as you did years ago," Tugger assured her. The red queen just smirked and ran a paw through her head fur, which had some grey on a few strands.

"I may not look like it, Tugger, but believe me when I say I _feel_ like it," She answered, but before she could continue farther on her ranting on old age, Jendangen came into the den, his face lighting up as he saw his parents and his uncle.

"Hi Uncle Munku! Hi Mother!" the little tom said with happiness, "Mother, is it okay if I have dinner at Tyrus' and Lupen's?" he inquired, hoping to spend more time playing with the two brothers. Bombalurina smiled and rubbed her son's head fur.

"Sure, so long as you come home by the time the sun sets, okay? And don't come home alone; have Jemima or Lupus bring you home, all right?"

"I will, Mother. I'm going to go set some things to bring, okay?" The red queen nodded and her son ran to his room and got a few toys to bring. Before he left, Tugger stopped him.

"Hey, pal, remember, we are going to go on that mouse hunt like we promised, right?"

"Right, dad!" Jenner answered, and with quick goodbyes, he was out the door. Bombalurina couldn't help but smile at her departing son, but as she turned to Munkustrap, the smile disappeared. The Jellicle Leader's expression looked like he had just seen a ghost. His expression stayed the same as he spoke to her.

"Did he just call Tugger "dad?"" He asked in a surprised tone. Bombi nodded with confusion, "You mean…you…you didn't tell him about his real father?" The red queen's expression changed to guilt and she hung her head in shame. The tabby's eyes rolled in disbelief, "You mean to say you have not told him about Macavity at all? Everlasting Cat Bombi, it's been 12 years! How much longer until you _do_ tell him?"

"I…I…wasn't sure when I wanted to tell him…I mean, I _wanted_ to tell him…but I can't!"

"But Bombi! If you don't tell him now, he will forever wonder if his whole livelihood was a lie! Either you tell him, or I will. Either way, he must know," his words brought a nod from the red queen, and he answered her nod with one of his own, and left with no parting words. For the rest of the day, she sat quietly, alone, wondering how she was going to tell her son about his real father. The family had an early dinner and soon after, Jemima came with Jendangen. After some brief conversation, she left, and now the red queen looked at her son with a sober look.

"Jenner…I…I want you to come with me," she sternly requested. The request was acknowledged by the young orange tom, but with some confusion as well. She took him to his room, and Tugger followed. The two, mother and son, sat on Jenner's bed. After a long pause, which helped build the butterflies in Bombi's stomach, she finally spoke, "Jendangen, dear…well…I don't know how to say this to you, so I'm going to go right to the point," she took her son's paws into her own, "Sweety…Rum Tum Tugger is not your real father," Her words brought a measure of surprise from the tom, and his head tilted in confusion.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Hon…" the red queen took another deep breath, "Your real father…his name was Macavity…He used to be a member of this tribe."

The orange tom's eyes were wide open and he quickly looked at Tugger, then at his mother, then back again, "Wha…what happened to him?"

Tugger was the one who answered, "When you were just a little kitten, an evil tom, named Draconic, took over the tribe, ruling it terribly. Your father…he fought Draconic and beat him, saving the tribe…but he got hurt in the fight…and he was sent up to the Heaviside Layer the following night."

Jenner was clearly shocked and stunned. He looked at his mother, "Wh-why didn't you tell me before?"

"Jenner dear, I…I didn't want to tell you when you were just a little kitten…I wanted to wait until you were older…I hope you understand," Bombi asked with anxiety in her eyes.

Her son's first response was different then she expected, "Does Sophline know about him?" The red queen nodded and Jenner looked down at his paws, going silent for a long time as he let everything sink in. Tears soon formed in his eyes and he quietly started sobbing. Bombalurina put an arm around her son and let him cry onto her shoulder. It was indeed a huge shock for the tom, suddenly being told that his real father was long gone. She simply held him and let the orange cat cry. The next new weeks were going to be hard for him as he let the truth sink in, but one thing was certain; she was going to be there for him, to help him get over all the shocks of it…

_Six cat years later…_

Woe for those who had to privately suffer a battle with an undefeatable opponent: Time. Just a few years before, Munkustrap had been as youthful as he had been for most of his adult life, but now the illusion of eternal youth had disappeared. He had woken up this morning feeling pain and stiffness all over. He could barely drag himself out of bed for breakfast, and even as the day progressed, the pain didn't leave, only slightly eased. Demeter managed to convince him to have Jemima check him out.

"Arthritis. Pretty bad too, it seems that age has finally caught up with you," the calico queen said in a somber tone. The Jellicle leader sighed with slight pain and irritation.

"Any way you can treat it?"

"No, I'm sorry. There may be a kind of treatment, but no one knows about it," With a slight growl, the angered silver tabby left the infirmary with his mate.

"Dear, is there anything I can do?" Demeter asked with concern. Munku shook his head.

"Just some time to think over my whole situation, Demi. That's all I need," he quietly said as he slowly went into his den, leaving a saddened gold and black queen in his wake. It was just a painful for her to see the tom she loved so much in a situation like this. He didn't ask for arthritis to strike him, but nonetheless, it was here. As he sat quietly, alone, he comptemplated his situation. Sure, he could still be the Jellicle Leader, but it was quite clear now that he couldn't also be the tribe's protector, he was much too old for that. Who would succeed him? There were many cats he had in mind, but which one to choose?

Jendangen quietly walked around the junkyard. It was just another boring day for him, doing nothing. He was now 18 in cat years, and in many ways had fully matured into a full grown tom. The only thing that was missing for him was a queen friend, a relationship. He had briefly courted with a few queens here and there, but none of them lasted more than a few weeks. Before, he basically had no time for relationships. His mother constantly needed help with maintaining their home, and his stepfather, Rum Tum Tugger, didn't always help well. Now, with finally some independence, he was now hoping for a queen to go out with.

"Hi Jenner!" he heard a cute queen's voice call out, and he turned and saw a queen that he had always been pals with, Syria. The black and white daughter of Mistoffelees and Victoria walked over to the orange tom with a bright smile, "What are you doing today?"

He shrugged, "Just walking around really," he answered with a monotone. He wanted to say more to her, but he couldn't find the nerve to. When he was younger, he always said what was on his mind and always ended up getting in trouble for it, now he had learned to keep his mouth shut.

"Just that? You don't have anything else to do?" She inquired, which to Jendangen's surprise, got him stammering.

"Well…uh….you see…"

"You don't have to say anything. If you got something to do with some of your friends, that's fine," she quietly said and turned to walk away. It was not true for him. His two friends, Tyrus and Lupen, were both out with their queen friends, and he did have nothing to do at all. As she walked away, he mentally argued with himself, and then finally summoned his nerve.

"Syria!" the queen turned and he finished his question, "Would you like to go mouse hunting with me tonight?"

The queen's face lit up, "Why…sure. I would like that!"

Jenner found himself smiling as well, "At dusk then?"

"Yes, that sounds good. See you then!" He nodded and the two exchanged waves. As she left, the queen felt a sudden fluttering in her chest. If it weren't for the fur on her face, she would have openly blushed. Jenner had a similar feeling as he turned away. It was weird, because he had never felt this way around her before. He had always looked at her as a good friend, but never anything more. Why was he suddenly getting these weird feelings for her?

Later that day, after the sun had set, but its light still glowing across the sky, the two young cats went scooting around the outskirts of the junkyard, looking for mice to have as a snack. For kittens and even teenaged cats, it was great fun. After 2 hours, which had result in many catches, Jendangen suddenly had an idea.

"Come with me," he told Syria, "I know a good spot to see the stars," he said with a grin. Together, with their caught mice, they arrived at a small hill just beyond the junkyard. Jenner remembered many times when he was a kitten his mother would take him here. Little did he know that this was his real father's special place, and that where they were now sitting was the exact spot where the orange tom's parents had their first kiss. Now, there he was, with Syria, laying the mice they had caught in front of them and gazing up at the stars, which were shining brightly, thanks to no moon. The black and white queen gazed up in awe.

"I never thought the stars could shine so brightly. It's astonishing!"

"I know. My mother always took me here when I was a kitten," he answered. Silence followed for a moment, and Jendangen absentmindedly batted one of the mice he had caught between his paws. He wanted to say something meaningful to her, anything, but his mouth and voice couldn't seem to obey his mind.

"You know, I was quite surprised when you asked me to go hunting with you," She said quietly, which made him look at her.

"Really? Why is that?"

"Well…you see…I always thought you were courting with another queen," Syria said in her quiet, innocent tone. Her words caused his eyes to widen with surprise.

"What? No, I was never with anyone. I thought _you_ were with someone though," This time, it was the black and white queen that was surprised.

"Really? Wow…all this time, you never even bothered to ask me?"

"Well…" he shrugged, "I thought it was a useless notion, if you were with another tom."

"I can't believe it…all this time, we both thought we were with someone else and…"

"Neither of us have been with anyone," he finished her sentence. The two were now gazing slowly into each other's eyes. They both wanted to say something, do something, but their will to seem to disappear in their gaze at each other, and their instincts took over. Slowly, their faces drew nearer and nearer. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words could come out. All of a sudden, he felt her lips brushing against his, and suddenly, they were having a kiss, their first. A voice in his mind was telling him, this was too fast! He had only been on one so called "date" with her, and they were already kissing! His heart, though, said, it's meant to be. You like this, and you know that it was meant to be so. As the argument between his heart and mind left his head, he suddenly realized that something else was pressing against his lips, her tongue. His mouth instinctively opened and the couple was having their first passionate kiss as well.

Before he could realize what was going on, he felt his arms go around her, and hers going around his neck. The next thing he knew, he was gently moving on top of her, as the black and white queen lay back on the ground, and the kiss grew in passion. It felt like everything was spinning out of control, as his paws gently stroked and caressed her soft fur all over her body. Even though the passion and romance was in full blaze, the two new lovers' common sense told them that this was a far as they should go. As naïve as they were, they knew that too much of a good thing could mean problems later, and neither of them wanted that. All they wanted was to enjoy this moment, each other, and their newly blossomed love.

All of a sudden, it was morning, and the sun gently glowed onto the couple's faces. Jendangen was the first to have awakened and he realized that Syria was lying next to him, resting her head on his chest, snuggling against him. She woke up as well and the two shared a smile. With little conversation, the two slowly stood up. As they finished stretching and waking up, the two had another short kiss, and as their lips parted, he gently whispered to her, "I love you, Syria."

His words caused the queen to smile, "I love you too," With that the two kissed once again, but this time, he gently broke it, gesturing with his head to the junkyard. She nodded, and the two walked back to the junkyard, completely forgetting the mice they had caught the night before, holding paws. As they got back to the junkyard, they ran into Alonzo and Cassandra. The couple seemed to have just had a little of their own personal time, as the orange tom noticed Cassie's fur slightly disheveled, and the black and white tom's eyes shining.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A new couple, how about that?" The still haughty Siamese said with a devilish grin. Jenner and Syria couldn't help but smile back. The two still looked the same as they had always looked for years, even though Lonzo was as old as Mistoffelees and Cassandra was even older. Alonzo gave the orange tom a pat on the shoulder.

"Good for you, boy! Nice to see you are growing up real well. You have a great future in this tribe, better than your father, when he went evil…" He suddenly stopped and gasped as he accidentally spilled the beans. Jendangen's eyes widened as did Syria's. Jenner's mouth was finally able to speak after a long moment.

"What did you say?" The black and white tom cringed. He knew that the young tom didn't know the whole truth about Macavity, but he didn't mean to let that slip about Jenner's birth father. Now, he would have to tell him, the whole truth, even though Bombalurina didn't want her son to ever know.

_Perfect place for a cliffhanger don't you think? I know it took me awhile to write this chapter, but I have been having 2-a-day practices in football, and only recently have I been able to get on the computer. Our first game is tonight, August 25. I am the #2 left guard on the offensive line, but I don't mind not playing. I checked the preseason rankings; our team's ranked #8 in the state! Anyways, hopefully, in the weeks to come, I will update on_ Americanized Jellicles_, this story, and also get posted my next romantic tale,_ A Rose Blooms For Two_. Until then, enjoy this chapter, R and R, and keep readin' and writin'!_


	4. Lies, Anger, and Evil

**Chapter 4**

Jendangen looked at Alonzo with a mix of shock and confusion, "What do you mean about my father being evil?" The black and white tom looked at his mate with worrisome eyes and looked back at the young tom and his companion, and put his arm around him, ushering him to the orange cat's home.

"I didn't mean to say that, Jendangen, but this is something your mother must tell you," he said with sullen words, leading the outwardly confused tom home. Bombalurina and Tugger were sitting down on a "couch," just cuddling when the quartet entered.

"Hi there. Is something wrong?"

Alonzo nodded slowly, but before he could say anything, Jenner blurted out, "Mother, what is my father's true story, the _true _story?" his face giving a glaring look. The red queen immediately turned to the black and white tom.

"You told him?!"

Alonzo's expression changed to that of a kitten that had said a profanity, "Well…it…I…I didn't mean to!"

Cassandra nodded in agreement, "Yes, Bombi, it was his mistake. You know how he is, blurting things out unintentionally."

"Hey!" Alonzo glared at his mate.

"Lonzo, I was just making an example-"

"But you had to use me as an example?" The two started bickering which resulted in a loud shout from the red queen.

"ALONZO! CASSANDRA! Leave right now!" Bombalurina roared, her paw pointing towards the door. The couple meekly nodded and left. Taking a deep breath, Bombi turned to her son and his partner. "Syria, I think it would be best if you were not here," she said in a calmer tone. Jendangen stayed silent with a straight face as he watched his future mate leave, Tugger escorting her.

Bombi quietly gestured to the couch and her son simply just walked over and sat, the expression on his face remaining the same. She took her seat next to him and looked at him with sorrowful and also a bit of fear, "Jenner, honey…your father…he…" she took a deep breath and finally let it out, "Your father, Macavity…he was…when he was younger, a criminal. He…did become evil, but, there were a lot of reasons—"

"He was evil?" he glared at his mother with a look of anger and betrayal.

"Yes…kind of. He had a very bad reputation. They called him many things; The Bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Hidden Paw…the Napoleon of Crime. He…he had a whole operation; a gang working for him…but, like I said…there were reasons for why he became this…" Jendangen just glared at her, a glare that seemed to have a greater effect than usual because of his facial features.

"So…you lied to me," The tom said with a seemingly held in anger.

"N-no, I didn't!"

"You did!" He stood up and started to back away from the red queen, "You lied to me! All these years, you told me he died doing something honorable, and now you tell me that he was a criminal?! You lied to me, Mother!" He looked away and shook his head, "Lies," he muttered and gave her another glance, this one though was more hurtful than anything, but there was still a hint of anger in his eyes, "That's all my life has been? Big, fat, hairy lies?" He turned to the door and started to walk away.

"Sweetie, no! That isn't true! Jenner, wait!" Bombalurina started after her son, but he suddenly turned around and gave her a loud hiss, which caused her to freeze in shock. The younger orange tom then turned back to the door and stormed out. By the time Bombi was able to get over the shock, she ran outside to see if he was anywhere. The junkyard was empty. As she put a paw over her face, she felt tears coming and she could no longer stand, falling to her knees and starting to sob. She never imagined him to react like this, but then again, she never expected to tell him like this either. But now, what was going to happen to Jenner? She prayed to the Everlasting Cat that nothing bad would happen, but something told her that something worse was going to happen. Something much worse.

Jendangen kept running, his anger growing with each step, his fury growing with each stride. How could his own mother lie to him? His own birth father one of the most evil criminals of them all? How could he ever forgive her for it? He suddenly heard what sounded like two queens chattering. He snuck up to the area, and noticed two young teenaged queens talking together. As he quietly sat there, out of their sights, he felt a rush of anger and also something else…he couldn't describe it, but it felt like nothing he had ever experienced. As it grew in him, he knew now what he was going to do. It was inevitable.

Just like he hoped for, one of the two queens left, leaving the other, a pretty tan and lightly brown queen with a beautiful slender figure, by herself. He waited quietly, and patiently, never taking his eyes off of her, waiting for the right moment. As she turned her head to glance once over her shoulder, he striked, leaping at her, she was hardly able to even widen her eyes before he tackled her, pinning the lithe queen under him. Before she could scream, he covered her mouth with his paw. She struggled as hard as she could, her muffled screams giving him another rush. He gently whispered in her ear.

"You be quiet, and I promise it will be over soon," he then firmly grabbed her legs and separated them. Her eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen and struggled even more. Jendangen growled and put another paw on her neck, "Be still, and I promise that before long, there will be no pain."

The voice, for some reason, didn't sound like his, it sounded so…evil. But it mattered little to what was going to happen next….

**Two hours later**

"Where is she?" the elder tom asked the queen, who was concerned with where her companion was. It had been two hours since they parted, and she didn't return at all.

"I don't know…she was her when I left her…" she noticed bits of the other queen's fur lying on the ground in front of her, and bits of someone else's fur, which seemed to be orange. She suddenly felt like someone or something was just beyond a pile of junk, and she went towards it. As she climbed over the pile, the next thing she saw made her gasp and let out a scream of horror. There was her friend, lying there, blood coming from between her legs, her neck snapped. The tom, the now dead queen's father, quickly ran to her, gently picking up her body, holding it close to him, sobbing loudly. Nearby, the orange tom that had committed the heinous crime, watched the whole scene, grinning evilly.

_Well, now I was finally able to update! I've been having computer problems up the wazoo, I got fired from my job, and our musical was changed to the_ Music Man_, since the school board wouldn't let us do _Urinetown_, just because of the name! If you want to know more about this, check out the story on Fox News website. Search either Urinetown or Stevens Point, and read more about it! Anyways, I'm finally finishing writing my latest updates, and now I don't even have a car anymore, thanks to a 3-point buck broad siding me. Anyways, I am back, gaining strength, and back to doing what I do best. Hope you enjoy this story so far, and I will be finishing them soon. So please R and R, enjoy, and Keep Readin' and Writin'!_

_P.S. I'm Mayor Shinn in the Music Man. Awesome!_


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